


Speak Now

by swanqueenfic13



Series: Aca-Song Fics [15]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Based on a song, F/F, Little angsty with a happy ending, Song fic, Starts out Jeca but ends Bechloe I promise, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 01:30:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7915174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swanqueenfic13/pseuds/swanqueenfic13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"'Speak now or forever hold your peace', the words said by preachers at the end of wedding ceremonies all over the world, right before the vows. It's a last chance for protest, a moment that makes everyone's heart race, and a moment I've always been strangely fascinated by. So many fantasize about bursting into a church, saying what they'd kept inside for years like in the movies. In real life, it rarely happens. </p><p>Real life is a funny thing, you know. In real life, saying the right thing at the right moment is beyond crucial. So crucial, in fact, that most of us start to hesitate, for fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. But lately what I've began to fear more than that is letting the moment pass without saying anything. </p><p>There is a time for silence. There is a time waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it. </p><p>I don't think you should wait. I think you should speak now."<br/>~Taylor Swift</p><p>A Jeca wedding with a Bechloe ending</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speak Now

_ It was dark. Sweaty, smelly and more than a little warm. But that was okay because we were together. We were always together, back then. And I miss it. I miss it so much because we were… we were good. We were perfect. We were… in bed together. _

_ But in the literal sense of the phrase. It was a Bellas bonding night, your senior year and my  _ final _ senior year. Everyone was drinking- even our little Legacy- but no one was sloppy drunk. We were all just buzzed, carefree, and happy. It was well past midnight when we finally fell into my bed, and you were drunk and happy and far too tired to make it all the way up to your room. I didn’t mind because you are a cuddly drunk and I like that. You were smiling, sitting on my bed. I came to lay down next to you and you giggled. _

_ “We’ve got less than a week left,” you’d said. I smiled, nodding. “Graduation in a few days. You’ve still got time to fail Russian Lit one more time.” I slapped your arm playfully. _

_ “Shut up, Mitchell. You know I passed this time. So, how were your four years?” _

_ “Mmm, good,” you laughed. “Better than I expected. Freshmen year, I was ready to take off at the end of the year. It’s why I made that deal with my dad.” I remember the deal. It’s what made you join the Bellas. And the Bellas made you stay. Funny how things worked out, right? _

_ “Do you ever regret not going to LA? When you had the chance?” I’m almost afraid you’ll answer that you have. That you wish you had never stayed here with us. _

_ “Nah,” you scoff. “I don’t regret.” _

_ “Nothing?” I asked. I’d slowly been shifting closer to you. It  _ is _ a twin bed after all, and there’s only so much space. But you didn’t seem to mind. “I have one little regret.” _

_ “Yeah?” I nodded. _

_ “I regret not… experimenting more… in college.” I played with the tips of your hair, too scared to look you in the eyes. You don’t say anything. Nervous, I look up, unsurprised to find you blushing a deep red but very surprised to find you staring at my lips seemingly unashamed. When I moved closer to you, you didn’t move back. You moved closer. I left a space between us, no more than a hairsbreadth. But I left it. Let you make the decision. So when I felt your lips press up against mine, I knew it was  _ your _ decision. And you kissed me hesitantly at first, then like your life depended on it. It was only when I felt your tongue licking at my lower lip that I let out a high-pitched gasp and you pulled away. _

_ “Dude!” You let out a strangled yelp and yanked away. Flustered, you throw yourself off the bed and start pacing around my room. “You can’t just- you shouldn’t have- I’m with Jesse!” I got angry, defensive, and more than a little hurt. I stand up. _

_ “Hey,  _ you _ kissed _ me! _ Don’t act like a victim. You kissed me, Beca.” You just put your hands up, backing away and shaking your head. I was mad, then. “Don’t walk away!”  _

_ “Chloe, I- I can’t. I’m drunk. I’m with Jesse. Let’s just- we can forget about this.” I tried to protest, but you ran up to your room and left me there. The next morning, I was hungover and wondered if it had been a dream. You acted like nothing happened, but when we sat in front of the TV, you chose to sit on the recliner rather than cuddle up with me on the loveseat like we usually do. And you were texting Jesse the whole time. So, I let it go. Figured you didn’t want me the way I wanted- the way I still want- you. I let you go, and we went to Worlds. When we came back, it was like your freshmen year all over again. Drunken revelry, congratulatory hugs and then we all went our separate ways. You went to LA and Jesse followed. _

_ I shouldn’t have been surprised a year later when I got the save-the-date card. Or when I saw the videos on Facebook of Jesse’s big, movie-themed wedding proposal. I wondered if you hated it. I know, even still, you don’t like movies. You only tolerated them for him. I didn’t think I would be able to go. But here we are. Here I am. _

 

“I can’t do it, Stace. I can’t go to her wedding,” I whined. It was only two weeks away, and Stacie had sent in my RSVP card a month ago when I wasn’t paying attention. 

“You have to. You’re Chloe and she’s Beca and you’re, like, Bhloe? Right? That’s what Fat Amy always said? Anyway. We’re Bellas. We’re sisters, and that means you have to go to her wedding, like it or not,” she said briskly. The wedding was here in Georgia, for some reason. Stacie mentioned something about Jesse’s grandpa not being able to fly but he wanted to see it?

“I  _ can’t _ ,” I implored. I didn’t think I could go and see you promising yourself to him. It’s been years, but I can’t get over you. I tried, damnit. But I can’t. And every night, when I was exhausted and trying to fall asleep, I would be forced to remember that night just before graduation when we got drunk and kissed and you pushed me away. And fuck, Beca I made so many mistakes but letting you run away was the worst.

 

There was a knock at my door, and I didn’t know who I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t him.

“Hey, Jesse! What’s up?” I smiled brightly, faking the enthusiasm. “You excited for the upcoming nuptials?” He smiled awkwardly, nodding.

“Yeah, um, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.” Confused, I invited him in, offered him a coffee. He declined, fiddling with his hands and unable to look me in the eye.

“Jesse, what’s going on? Is something wrong with Beca?” I’ve always been one to jump to worst case scenarios, so I’m starting to worry myself. What if Beca is hurt? Is she sick? Is something wrong?

“You are!” he explodes after a tense moment. “You’re what’s wrong with Beca!” Confused, I just tilt my head to the side, opening my mouth to speak but no words come out. “Ever since you sent in that RSVP card a month ago, Beca’s been acting weird. I know you guys were close, but I don’t get what’s going on here, and I just want things to go back to the way they were. So, you need to stop.”

“Stop what? Jesse, I’m not doing anything. I didn’t even send in the card; Stacie did it for me.” You’re fidgeting now because just as quickly as you jump to the worst case scenario, you can also hope for the best case. Maybe you did love me. Maybe you cared I was coming to your wedding. 

“Just- stop! Just, don’t, like- um, this is awkward, but I’m asking you to change your mind. I’m asking you…. To leave Beca alone. Don’t come to the wedding. Don’t contact her on social media. Don’t text her out of the blue. Don’t surprise us for visits. Just… let the friendship fade, okay? For me? For our marriage?” I didn’t know what to say.

“I was her… best friend, Jesse. And you’re asking me not to come to her wedding?” I don’t bother telling him I wasn’t even sure if I was planning on going anyway.

“Well, I’m asking you to be a good friend. Let her be happy with me. Let her go. Just- like, please?” I didn’t say anything. There was nothing  _ to _ say to that. So, I just nodded and showed him out quietly as he thanked me. It felt wrong for him to be thanking me. Like he was thanking me for hurting you. I didn’t like the way it felt. So I called someone to talk things over.

 

“I’ve missed you, Legacy! Did you grow?” I asked. Even though I was still in Georgia, I didn’t get a lot of free time to visit Barden. I went to Semis to watch Emily’s new group, but this is the first time she’s visited my apartment.

“No, maybe you just shrank,” she grinned. “Anyway, what’s so important about Beca’s wedding? Fat Amy said she heard you weren’t going.” Emily was your maid of honor. Of course, you already knew that. In another life, maybe I would have been your maid of honor. Or your bride.

“Well, that’s the thing,” I said softly, leading her into my living room. Sitting her down, I explained everything, leaving no detail out. I even told her about the kiss and how I let you run away. I told her how I never got over you and how Stacie sent in the card and Jesse asked me not to come. “And I just- I know I was on the fence about going, but now that I’ve been told not to go, I want to go. What should I do?”

“O-M-aca-Gee!” Emily had squealed. She jumped up and down hugging me, and I couldn’t help but get swept away. Even now as a senior at Barden, she was still just as bubbly and happy and sweet. “I knew you guys were meant to be!” I pulled away and Emily pouted.

“Have you been listening, Em? We’re not meant to be. We’re… fucking Romeo and Juliet, or something equally as depressing. She’s marrying Jesse in a week. You’re her bridesmaid.” I don't mean to be so condescending but is she serious? How did she listen to that story and think this had a happy ending? 

“Yeah! I listened! And you and Beca having feelings for each other is aca- _ awesome _ , I swear.” After a second, Emily clapped her hand over her mouth. It took a moment for the message to sink in. When it did, I did a double take. 

“Feelings  _ for each other? _ Like she has feelings for me, too?”

“I didn't say that!” She looked like a scared puppy, but I needed more information. I leveled my best  _ I-was-your-captain-don’t-fuck-with-me _ glare at her and she bit her lip. “Chloe, please, I promised not to talk about it.”

“Emily,” I said in a warning tone. 

“Look, let's just say drunk Beca a few weeks ago said some things at a bridesmaids party that sober Beca wouldn't admit. Can we leave it at that?” Pouting, I heaved a dramatic sigh. 

“I bet Jesse’s sister wasn't too pleased by that,” I snorted after a minute. His sister Amanda was one of the bridesmaids, upon insistence from Jesse. Stacie and Fat Amy  were the other two. 

“Why do you think Jesse asked you not to come?” Emily shrugged. 

 

In the end, Emily's insistence and puppy dog eyes convinced me to come. 

“She'll be so sad if you skip her wedding. You guys were, like, best friends. You can't just not come!” She'd insisted. And Stacie dropped by, too. Threatened to kick my ass if I didn't come. Aubrey called to tell me about the closure it might give us. I was just sick of listening to them so I donned my black, silky dress (I felt it was an appropriate color for the occasion) and my silver heels. I pulled my hair into a low bun, put on minimal makeup and made my way to the small church two hours away. Apparently, it's the church that Jesse's entire family got married in, according to Emily. 

My plan was just to sit in the back, watch her get married, give her a simple congrats outside the church and go to drown my sorrows at the nearest bar. I was just going to watch my heart get broken. But Emily was so damn hopeful and so cryptic and it drove me nearly insane. She kept insisting I needed to talk to Beca but when was I supposed to get her alone? At her bachelorette party! When she's going to brunch with her in-laws? When she's greeting her family and bringing them to their hotel? Or maybe the morning of her wedding while she's being poked and prodded with every makeup product and hair wand know to man (something she would definitely hate but Jesse might insist on). So, it isn't totally my fault. Legacy planted the seed. I was just sitting in the back pew, hiding in the wings of the church, not paying attention to the time.  

I was too busy listening to Jesse’s family. His cousin was running around, shrieking like a banshee at everyone because everything was going wrong, according to her. The Trebles were making too much noise. The Bellas weren’t sitting on the right side. Beca’s family was running late. The sun wasn’t shining enough for the light to come through the stained glass windows. The fluorescent lights were hurting her eyes. It went on and on and on and I found myself inching closer to her to listen. When she ushered everyone to sit down, I found myself pushed into an aisle much closer than I’d have liked. 

I was sitting in between what seemed to be old family friends of Jesse’s. I overheard them laughing to the people in front of us about how Jesse used to plan his wedding all the time after his aunt got married and he got to be the ring bearer. Suddenly, one of them points as the organ starts playing; they gush about how beautiful the wedding march is, but I think it sounds more like a deathly dirge. When he notices me, I see his eyes bug out and he frowns sternly before plastering on a smile and making it up to the altar.

“What was that about? Think he’s getting cold feet?” one of Jesse’s male relatives asks. But the bridesmaids and groomsmen start processing in and no one connects the face back to me. And suddenly, the music shifts. Everyone rises, and I can feel my hands start to shake. Because the doors open and Beca starts processing down the aisle. 

She’s beautiful. Ethereal. Her skin seems to glow. Her hair is pulled back into an intricately braided bun with a few loose, curled tendrils framing her face. The dress is like a cupcake, a princess-style ballgown that Beca never would’ve picked for herself. Her makeup is detailed, also definitely done by someone else. She looks beautiful, but nothing like herself. I don’t like it. But even still, I found myself leaning forward, jaw dropping slightly. When she makes eye contact with me, her face blanches. Her cheeks color a nice shade of red, and she mouths something. I can see her falter in her gait a bit. Everyone starts murmuring, Jesse clears his throat and she moves on, making her way up to the altar.

 

It’s a lovely service. Perfect, actually. It’s beautiful, ceremonial, and not too long. Things are kept brief. Jesse gives a heartfelt speech of vows that reference several different rom coms. Beca reads off of a napkin some pretty generic, funny and sarcastic comments, but even I can see the affection is genuine. It’s a lovely service, but the entire time, I keep thinking of what Emily said last night.

_ “You can object! You need to tell her so she knows before she makes a decision! If you don’t and it comes out later, it’ll be such a problem. For both of you,” she insisted. _

_ “That’s… rude… I can’t, like, object at her wedding. It’s archaic and old and stupid and creates this really bad situation that I can’t… No, Em.” I was fidgeting. The idea had some appeal. Telling Beca, saying my piece, getting it all out there. Might even be therapeutic. _

_ “You have to tell her, Chlo. You really… she should know.” _

The words were ringing in my ears.

_ She should know. _

_ She should know. _

_ She should know.  _

_ Sheshouldknowsheshouldknowsheshouldknowsheshouldknowsheshould- _

“And now, is there any reason that these two should not be wed? If you do, speak now, or forever hold you piece.” The pastor’s voice is calm, sure. Clearly no one actually says anything at this time. There’s a silence.

_ Last chance. She should know _ .

It’s like my body moves without my permission. I stand up before I knew what I was doing, but I can feel my hands shaking. I can feel my heart pumping, my chest heaving with anticipation as adrenaline pumps through my veins. There’s a low murmuring as everyone turns to face me, horrified and confused. But all I can see is your face.

“I-I do. I… God, this is rude. I know this is rude. But, I think you should know, Beca. I have been in love with you since your freshman year of college. Okay? I love you. And… I’m not a homewrecker. That’s not the kind of girl I want to be. But you… Beca, you’re not the kind of girl who can marry the wrong guy for you. You can’t marry him out of… obligation or something. I know you’ve been dating for years, and I know you care about him. But ask yourself, Beca, is that enough for you?

“So I guess… Before you get married I just wanted you to know that if you are not 100% in this, there is another option. Because I know you, Beca. It took me a while, but I  _ really _ know you. And as much as I’m not the girl who makes speeches like this at weddings, you aren’t the girl who marries someone just to keep from hurting them. So, I’m reminding you, Beca. You have a choice. You can leave, right now. With me. I’ll wait outside. But if I’m totally wrong, if you love Jesse with all of your heart and soul, I’ll leave and never speak to anyone here again. I’ll move to… Montana and live out my days. The choice is yours, Beca. If you wanna ditch the gown and come with me, I’ll be waiting outside.” My hands are shaking and I know I’m crying, so I start to climb out of the pew. The low murmurs turn into gasps and I look up to see you running towards me, grinning. Legacy is hiding her smile behind her bouquet, and Stacie is clapping slowly while I take your hand and we run out of the church together.

Later, I’ll ask what you said to Legacy. You’ll ask why I let you run away, why we never talked about this. Maybe we’ll laugh over how stupid we’ve been. Some day, Jesse might even forgive us (I’m not holding my breath for that one). But for now, we just hold each other’s hands and we run. No destination in mind, no plan for tomorrow or even tonight.

All we know is everything has changed.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I'm working on my fics and things but classes are starting up for school so I really, really can't accept any more prompts or requests. I absolutely love that you guys want to read more of my stuff, but having unwritten requested prompts stresses me out because I want to finish them as quickly as possible so when they're unfinished I get upset. So, thank you but please hold your prompts until I settle myself into the semester and find the time to write. As for now, I hope you enjoyed this, and I am slowly but surely working through my fics and things. So... Thanks! Love you guys!


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